


Learning

by Theshowmustgo_on



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, Introspection, One Shot, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 04:02:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9160270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theshowmustgo_on/pseuds/Theshowmustgo_on
Summary: When they are visiting the southern water tribe Korra and Asami visit Korra's parents old house where they tell each other things they didn't previously know about each other.





	

Dinner had been great. Asami wasn’t the biggest fan of water tribe food but Senna’s cooking had been amazing. She was oddly very nervous about coming and being presented as Korra’s girlfriend. She didn’t know how her parents would react to them being in a relationship. Korra didn’t seem to think anything of it though, and she openly showed affection to her in front of them like they were anyone else. 

They were on the balcony of Korra’s room looking at the southern lights. They shone brightly and moved across the sky. It was a peaceful site but Asami couldn’t get comfortable. She was freezing. She was completely covered in a thick overcoat whereas Korra was simply enjoying the view in a thin jacket. 

“I never really liked it here that much,” Korra said.

“Really? Why? Isn’t this your homeland?”

“I mean the palace. It’s great my dad’s the chief but it’s cozier at my parents old house,” she replied, “warmer too.”

“This palace is amazing though. The way the building is completely made out of ice is really incredible…but I agree, it’s so cold. I don’t think i’m cut out for the southern water tribe,” Asami said. 

Korra chuckled. “A lot of people here live in blocks of ice, we just live in the biggest.” Korra looked over to her girlfriend. Her facial features were red and her skin looked paler. She could tell that Asami was uncomfortably cold and that she probably wouldn’t get out of that overcoat for the entire trip.

“Hey, would you like to go to my parents old house? It’s way warmer in there since it’s made of stone not ice.”

Asami’s face gleamed at the recommendation. “Sure. Where is it?”

“Oh right, you’ve never been there. It’s in a village far beyond the city. It’s not as far as the compound but it’s the closest village to it. When we came here for the glacier spirits festival we all stayed in guest houses near the east village. Their house is in the north village,” she explained.

“Lets do it. It would be cool to see it,” said Asami excitedly.

They packed some things and left on Naga. It took a little over an hour to get there and Asami was as cold as ever on the ride over. She cuddled up against Korra trying to get some of her body heat over to her, which worked enough to maintain her for the ride.

When they arrived at the village she was surprised at what she saw. Most of the houses there were simply small huts, and a lot of them igloos. She felt as if maybe she had stepped back in time to a century ago. Growing up in Republic city where everything is so modern made it always eye opening to see other places that weren’t so. 

They stopped at a bigger hut (though still quite small) and got off Naga. “Here it is,” Korra said, helping Asami down, “I was born here. Well not actually in this house, but this is the spot. My dad didn’t finish building it until after I was born. We lived in an igloo here until it was finished. I don’t remember it though.”

This was intriguing to Asami. Such humble beginnings for the most powerful person on the planet. Although they were close, there were still many things that they didn’t know about each other. Asami knew nothing about Korra’s early life and Korra hardly knew anything about Asami’s childhood. 

Korra guided her in and immediately started a fire. The fireplace was big and almost immediately Asami felt a lot warmer. The house was small and felt cave-like. There were animal skins on the walls and the floor, making it feel cozy. There was only two small spaces in the house. The main area that had the big fireplace, plus a couch and a dinner table, and then a smaller room to the side with two beds and a smaller fireplace.

“This is where we used to sleep. My parents slept there.” She pointed to one end, “And I slept over here,” she said pointing to a little bundle of animal skins, woven blankets and a small pillow. “Wow, I didn’t know my old bed was still here.” 

Asami smiled. “When did you move to the compound?”

“I was five or six years old. I remember I started my water bending training here. Katara moved into a house close by and she would come over everyday to teach me. We trained right outside.” Korra looked down at the floor, “Man, that was such a long time ago. This was even before I got Naga.”

“When did you get Naga?” Asami asked excitedly. They sat down on the floor near the fireplace and Asami took off her overcoat.

“That’s actually a pretty cool story,” Korra said. She told Asami the whole story of how she snuck out during a snow storm and found Naga alone and departed from her pack. Asami beamed at the story. Even at five years old Korra was daring and inquisitive.

“Thats amazing. My early childhood couldn’t have been more different.”

“Tell me about it. What was it like for you growing up?” Korra said.

Asami thought back to when she was a young kid when her mother was still alive. She remembers being closer to her mother since she stayed at home and her father was always working.

“Hmm, well first off I was born in a hospital downtown, and unlike most children, I went to a school. I first started going when I was four I think.”

“You went to school when you were only four years old?” Korra asked dumbfounded.

Asami chuckled. “Yeah. It was some small school for children of important people and the rich. Also, I remember benders weren’t allowed to go there, even if their parents could afford it.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know exactly. I think maybe since child benders have trouble controlling their bending they didn’t want the possibility of other children getting hurt or vandalizing the building. The rich try to exclude people as much as they can,” she said.

“Uh…was your mom alive at the time?” Korra asked a bit hesitantly.

“Yeah she was actually for a couple years.”

“I heard about the break in, that must’ve been horrible.” Korra gently grabbed Asami’s hand and held it. Asami looked into the fire.

“I was only six when it happened.” Asami squeezed Korra’s hand. “As much as I try to remember her, and the rest of my childhood, I can’t. I can’t really remember much of the time from right after she died. A therapist told me that can happen. It’s apparently a coping mechanism. When something traumatic happens to children they push the bad memories out of their head until they can’t remember them anymore.”

“Therapist?” Korra asked.

“Oh yeah,” Asami chuckled. “I went through a bit of a rebellious stage in my early teens after I finished school. Most of my peers went off to boarding school once finishing primary school, but I decided to stay in Republic City and start an apprenticeship under my father. At the time I was going through a phase, so my dad made me go see someone. My therapist really helped me move on from what had happened to my mom.”

“What type of phase was it?” Korra asked.

“Oh you know, the type I guess all teenagers go through. My father and I weren’t as close, and I snuck around a lot. Going into the city without permission, dating, just trying to do grownup things and doing things without asking.”

“You probably grew out of it way faster than I did. I was still in it even after I was an adult,” Korra said, making Asami laugh.

“How was growing up in the compound? she asked.

Korra thought briefly about her time there. She had lived there for most of her life. She couldn’t really call the palace, her parents old house or even Republic city home. The closest thing she had to a place called home, was the compound.

“Well I’ve lived there most of my life. From the time I was five to seventeen I pretty much stayed trapped in there. It probably would’ve been even longer if Tenzin had moved down here to train me in air bending like originally planned. I was only allowed to go visit my parents for my birthday and during the week of the glacier spirits festival, and they were only allowed to come see me a couple times a year.”

“Why is that? Why couldn’t you see them on the weekends or something?” Asami asked.

“It’s apart of some Avatar philosophy mumbo-jumbo. The Avatar is not supposed to have worldly possessions or attachments. It goes along with the idea that the Avatar isn’t attached to any one nation. The white lotus would tell me that I wasn’t supposed to prioritize relationships. They told me to focus on training.”

“That’s stupid,” Asami said bluntly. “My father and I were so close growing up, I can't imagine having family nearby but not being able to see them.”

“Actually for a long time I bought into all of that. I missed them horribly but I was always so focused on my training. I put learning to be the Avatar in front of my parents, which now I kinda regret thinking like that,” Korra said.

“Did you have any friends at all?” Asami asked.

“Not really. Katara and Kya had some healing students my age that I would see from time to time, but they would always give me private lessons, and once I mastered water bending I never saw them again. I guess I wouldn't call them friends though.”

“What did you do for fun then?”

“Play with Naga mostly. Sometimes I would create stuff made out of ice or earth, but that’s when I got really bored. Did you have friends?” she asked.

“Yeah, but I was never close enough with any of them to continue our friendship once they left for boarding school. I think they all went to University after that. I haven’t seen any of them since I was like fourteen.”

“Did you date anyone before you met Mako?” Korra asked.

“Not seriously. There was one boy who I liked a lot when I was around fourteen. He and his father were earth-benders who worked as live-in groundskeepers at the estate.”

“He was living at the estate and you guys dated?”

Asami chuckled at the memories. “Yeah, we mostly snuck around though. He was my only friend at the time. My dad didn’t know about us, but when he found out he was so angry.” Asami started giggling, “we were hanging out in my room one night and my dad walked in on us kissing.”

Korra looked at her wide eyed. “Really, what happened?”

“He yelled at us and then fired him and his father. That was really the only time my father was angry at me.”

“Wow, such a rebel,” Korra teased. The fire crackled in front of them and they cuddled against one another. Asami got a bit hot so she took off her jacket and her shoes. It was such a quiet and romantic moment. Something that they hadn’t gotten too often since becoming a couple.

“I’m really glad you brought me here. This is nice,” Asami said, kissing Korra’s cheek.

Korra smiled widely. “I’m glad your enjoying yourself. I am too.” Korra kissed her back on the lips. “My parents are happy we’re together.”

“Really?” 

“Yeah. Don’t worry, they like you a lot.”

“Well that’s a relief,” Asami said. They kissed again, this time more deeply. Soon they fell to the ground, Korra laying on top of Asami and kissing her neck. One thing led to another and they ended up making love right there. The thick animal pelt cushioned the solid rock flooring and the heat from the fire enveloped their every move. Afterwards they laid there tangled together slightly sweaty and cuddling on the floor. Korra was stroking Asami’s hair and Asami was stroking Korra’s back, feeling all the little scars and ridges that Korra’s back was covered in.

“I don’t like them,” Korra said.

“What?” Asami said confused.

“The scars, I really hate them. I had quite a few from before but most of them are from Zaheer, especially the ones on my back, legs, and arms.”

On her legs and arms were scars that looked like some type of rash. They were from where the poison was applied on her. On her sides and back were a littering of a hundred little scars that weren’t visible unless you touched them.

“I think they’re beautiful. You’re beautiful.”Asami kissed a scar that was on Korra’s shoulder. Korra blushed, her girlfriend really knew how to do that to her. In return Korra kissed Asami’s tattoo that she had on her upper left ribcage. The words “what we think, we become” were beautifully inked on her side.

“Why keep your tattoo a secret?” Korra asked. “It’s beautiful. Not many people get a tattoo of a quote.” 

“I don’t know exactly. I got it for myself and only myself, so I guess I didn’t feel the need to share it or tell people,” she said. When Korra and Asami had made love for the first time, Korra was really surprised to see it.

 

_“I didn’t know you have a tattoo.”_

_“Not many people do,” Asami responded._

_“When did you get it?”_

_“After the equalist revolution, when I first inherited the company,” she said cooly._

_Korra read and stared at the tattoo. “What we think, we become,” she said aloud. “Did some air bender say that?” she asked playfully._

_“Yes actually, Avatar Yangchen said it.”_

_“Really? How do you know that?”_

_“I lived at the air temple for a while, remember? I came across a bookabout her during the time you were training to master air bending. It had a lot of quotes and passages she apparently had said. This one spoke to me because of everything that had just happened with my father. It’s a reminder that we are shaped mostly by what we believe in.”_

_“That’s the truth for sure. I understand why you got it.”_

 

Korra smiled thinking about the recent memory. “How do you think I would look with air master tattoos?” Korra asked playfully. Asami laughed out loud and just shrugged an ‘I don't know’ in response. 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I made most of this up, but I like to think I was logical based on my observations from both shows.


End file.
